


A Day In The Life Of Lisa Riva

by Jenn_Calaelen



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Backstory, Gen, Minor Canonical Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-22
Updated: 2011-12-22
Packaged: 2017-10-27 19:22:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/299202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jenn_Calaelen/pseuds/Jenn_Calaelen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A look at the life of Dr Riva</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Day In The Life Of Lisa Riva

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tel/gifts).



> Yuletide treat.  
> Beta read by tba. All remaining mistakes are totally my fault.

Lisa Riva looked up, checking on the soletta hanging in the sky. The day was quiet and so was Solstice - calm now, without so much of an edge to the peace. She hurried across town, as she was slightly late setting out, though not late enough to consider paying for transport – after all, the money that she saved by walking each week would pay for another journal. It wouldn't do to be late for her first day of classes of the semester; she wanted to graduate and hoped that nothing further would disrupt the progress. Getting back into Professor Maracoal's advance field theory class was very fortunate and she was looking forward to the lectures. It would be interesting to know how his recent paper relating those concepts to 5d-math and wormholes worked, although it was not really undergraduate level; he was likely to talk about it in class, though, if his other lectures were anything to go by.

Turning a corner she entered the campus, which was more crowded than ever. The beginning of the semester was the worst - everyone wanted to turn up for their first classes, no matter how many they would skip. She sniffed at them - secure in her hundred percent attendance record.

The math building was up ahead. She ducked through the doorway, swinging into the convenient lift tube, jumping out at the fifth floor. She paused to check her schedule again before walking down the corridor to the third seminar room. She dumped her bag on the table directly facing the Professor's, glancing around. No one else was there yet, not particularly surprising as she was ten minutes early. She smiled and sorted out her belongings, preparing to take notes, opening the program and setting up with a record of the time, course, lecturer and session. She sat down, ready for class, and read over the notes from the prerequisite course.

Suddenly she heard the sounds outside change - a moment when the noise suddenly got louder and changed in tone. Lisa jumped to her feet, afraid of what might be happening. She crossed to the windows and looked out. No riots, nothing - just more crowds. She relaxed slightly, then crossed back to the door. She looked out into the corridor, suddenly crowded.

"What's going on?" she asked, grabbing the sleeve of a passer by.

"No classes today - day of mourning for Their Emperor. A pity the news didn't get here soon enough for us to be notified before coming in." He pulled away and disappeared back into the crowd.

She stepped back into the room, cursing softly, before realizing that it probably wasn't a good idea even here. She wondered vaguely about the politics. The heir had been killed at Escobar; a hero they claimed - a villain according to be the Betans and Escobarans. Well, the truth was probably in between. There was a grandson, but he must still be a child. She shrugged, it was not that likely to make a difference to her life. Now what she really wanted to know is when the university would reopen. She packed up, then fought her way through the crowded corridors to the faculty offices - she pushed into the room. The normally spacious room was full.

"... No. Nothing today - we are supposed to be closed already. No, we don't know when classes will resume. You will be commed with that info at least the evening before. No none of us know the procedure for the Death of an Emperor. Now everyone out." The secretary sounded understandably frazzled.

Lisa hurried out with the others, listening to their glee at the unexpected holiday. She sighed, she had already lost a semester to her mother's illness - now this? She hurried out, down into the main comms lab in the building - almost empty as everyone streamed out into the city. She flicked through the news sources - there was no information about the length of the mourning - Barrayaran sources, then – ah, a week. Would that really apply here? She walked out of the lab. She had never seen it so empty, even when she had been in it at all hours for her project last year. There were usually at least ten students there; many of whom she had come to know by sight, and whose dissertation presentations she had attended.

She took the day to walk home quietly through the city, through the thronging streets as more and more businesses seemed to be closing - she supposed that they didn't want to get the attention of the Barrayarans by staying open. She walked on, vaguely overhearing snatches of conversation, and innuendo, everywhere...

"Murdered - they'll have a regent."

"Like father, like son."

"But is the boy the son of Serg?"

".... five years old...."

"Did you heard what he did to the Escobaran prisoners?"

"... revolt."

"That Butcher Vorkosigan."

"what will happen to us?"

"Unfair to force us to close business - that trade fleet was supposed to leave tomorrow"

"Brainwashed that woman into moving there - tragic, really."

"Vorkosigans are the power behind the throne."

"Civil war would give a chance for freedom."

"Cetagandan plot?"

"Piotr Vorkosigan and the Emperor..."

"Security poking their noses in everywhere."

There were some people celebrating; she automatically swung away from those, not wanting to associate herself with their danger. She heard their yells about freedom, a return to democracy and riches.

Lisa turned into her street, returning her thoughts to five-space math, far more interesting than politics. She would read over Professor Maracoal's paper - it seemed to have interesting possibilities for wormhole physics, possibly in association with Dr. Silva's paper from Escobar that she had read last year. She really should dig out that paper and reread both in conjunction. At least she could spend this time trying to work on extensions of these, not as good as making real progress, but at least it would be math.

 

***

 

Ten months later she published those findings in her dissertation. It was hailed as a breakthrough and she quickly got offered a place for postgraduate study at the university, and set her first steps on a successful and notable career.


End file.
